FAMILY, FRIENDS, INVESTMENT CAN BE A COMBUSTIBLE MIX

When your family invests, the business can become an all-consuming topic. Grant lives at home and admits this is an issue. “My sister sometimes says all we talk about is Barc,” he said.

If the company crashes, that can also strain family relationships. Failure, Grant admits, “would suck.” But he is “all in,” and he sees himself as a paranoid optimist — positive about the future but concerned about what can go wrong.

Grant is more fortunate than most, given his father’s skills and resources, but the dynamic remains the same. You may be able to get money from family, friends and fools, but be careful that you treat them well, or you may lose your family and friends as well as your business.

Neil Senturia and Barbara Bry write this weekly column about entrepreneurship in San Diego. Please email ideas to Barbara at bbry@blackbirdv.com